Recently Viewed
5-Hour 1000 Islands Boldt Castle Stopover Cruise from Gananoque
3.9
61 Ratings
Gananoque
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Thousand Islands Bridge - The Thousand Islands International Bridge (French: Pont des Mille-îles) is an American-maintained international bridge system over the Saint Lawrence River connecting northern New York in the United States with southeastern Ontario in Canada. Constructed in 1937, with additions in 1959, the bridges span the Canada–US border in the middle of the Thousand Islands region.
- Boldt Castle and Yacht House - Construction began on Boldt Castle in 1900 at the bidding of millionaire hotel magnate George C. Boldt as a tribute to his beloved wife Louise. Boldt Castle was designed as their summer dream home. A castle rivaling those of Europe, built on the St. Lawrence River, in the heart of the 1000 Islands. However it was not to be, Mrs. Boldt passed away suddenly just months before the completion of the castle. Mr. Boldt was inconsolable and immediately stopped all construction on Heart Island, leaving the property vacant for over seventy years.
- 1000 Islands Tower - The 1000 Islands Tower is a concrete observation tower on Hill Island, essentially on the U.S.-Canada border, but actually located within Ontario rather than New York State. Built in 1965, the tower provides panoramic views over the Thousand Islands of both nations, from a height of 400 feet (120 m) above the St. Lawrence River.
- Zavikon Island - Zavikon Island is home to a bridge that, at only 32 feet in length, is considered the shortest international bridge in the world. It connects a Canadian island with an American island in the middle of the Saint Lawrence River.
The boundary agreement that was drafted between Canada and the United States declares that no island can be split into two territories. Two-thirds of the islands in this bunch, the Thousand Islands, belong to Canada, but the total area of the Canadian islands is roughly equal to the other one-third, which are considered to be American territory.
What's Included
- Views of American & Canadian Spans of 1000 Islands International Bridge and Statue of St. Lawrence
- Views of the St. Lawrence Seaway, Millionaires Row, Boldt Castle
- Audio Commentary in English and French
- 5-Hour Cruise; a Canadian Signature Experience
- Onboard food and beverage available for purchase
- Paid parking available on site
- On-board restrooms
What's Not Included
- Parking fees
Additional Information
Set sail on a 5-hour 1000 Islands Cruise and sail through the American span of the 1000 Islands, before your two-hour stopover at the majestic Boldt Castle, on the most famous of the 1000 Islands, Heart Island.
The narrated cruise also takes you past Zavikon Island, Millionaire’s Row, the St. Lawrence Seaway and the 1000 Islands Bridge as you see the area’s most breathtaking scenery.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
-The price of the Boldt Castle Stopover Cruise INCLUDES the Boldt Castle Admission Fee.
-A valid passport is required to board the cruise. Guests cannot board without proper documentation.
- Citizens of countries outside of Canada or the U.S. require a visitor’s visa as well as their passport. An approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) will be required as U.S. Customers & Border Control will no longer accept a Visa Waiver Form. Please contact the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for more details.
Location
City Cruises Gananoque
Main Street
A paid parking lot is available on-site. Parking passes are available for purchase at the lot or in the ticket office.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
3.9
(61 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Beverely_s
Jun 2, 2024
Visitor Paradise - The touring of Both Castle was awesome I would do it again, also the boat experience was wonderful, the stories of the Island was something to give a listening ears to, not to mention the captain he was very polite.
Review provided by Viator
Phillip_h
May 28, 2024
Relaxing 1000 Island tour with adequate time for Boldt Castle exploration - Took the early morning 5 hour tour and enjoyed seeing the Islands and our time at Boldt Castle. It was a nice day to view some beautiful scenery from the boat and gain some knowledge about the area and history of the castle.
Review provided by Viator
Mohan_s
May 19, 2024
1000 Stars Cruise - BOOKING WAS EASY, GOOD Customer SERVICE, EXCELLENT TRIP, Will recommend to friends, and will visit again every year
Review provided by Viator
Wander260039
Oct 7, 2023
Amazing trip!! - My husband and I thoroughly our 5 hour boat cruise. It happened to be a beautiful, warm and sunny day. The recorded commentary on the boat was so beneficial as we toured past homes and islands. Boldt Castle is amazing, so much history. We definitely recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dreamer63154796263
Oct 5, 2023
Beautiful Fall Day Touring the Thousand Islands - We had a beautiful fall day to enjoy the cruise. I have not been to the castle since the late 70s so it was nice to see all of the restorations. It is beautiful. Thoroughly enjoyed our day
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michelle_m
Sep 28, 2023
A must see experience!! - It is hard to put this experience into words, the whole experience is something I would definitely recommend I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it definitely going to do it again. If there was anything negative about it, it’s not long enough I would’ve loved it to be longer. Thank You.
Review provided by Viator
Runningwild32
May 23, 2024
A lovely day out - We choose the right day to take the cruise and visit the castle, the sun was glorious with a good commentary on the boat, which was not overly full, making it comfortable to move about and take pictures. As mentioned elsewhere, for those not carrying a US or Canadian passport, getting through US Customs was not an easy process as we had to wait until last before being processed, which was also not quick and losing valuable time viewing the wonderful castle and the grounds. However, this should not detract from the day out which was informative and delightful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elisa_a
May 20, 2024
Still had a great time - Touring Boldt Castle has been a dream since I was a child. Amazing experience. Just wish I had one more hour there to take shuttle to Yacht House and see the movie - 2 hours just isn't enough time. Would love to see the boat change their seating to face out. Why on a cruise are the seats facing in? The staff on the boat are awesome!
Review provided by Viator
Hana_b
Oct 1, 2023
Not bad but read for some tips! - We had a good time BUT the boat did not have enough seating for everyone, nor were there enough poles/rails to hold onto for those of us who did not have seating which really is a safety issue. On the positive side, food onboard was great and not overly priced. Audio was OK. Regarding US customs: if you have recently travelled to the US (within the last 6 months), you don't have to wait to to line up with the rest of the non-Canadian passport holders! Tip: before you approach Boldt Castle, go line up so that you're at the front of the line and you get through customs sooner rather than later! We did this and got to spend 1 entire extra hour roaming the castle grounds than other passengers did. Castle was very nice with very pretty grounds. Enjoyed this experience overall and glad we did it.
Review provided by Viator
Noella
May 20, 2024
Terrible service - Terrible cruise, company not honest about how long it takes to clear customs once you arrive on Bolt Island. Waited an hour in the hot sun on the pier to clear customs. Elderly people were exhausted and babies were uncomfortable in the heat. They are lucky no one had heat stroke. Only had an hour on the island but it was supposed to be 2 hours. Not worth $82.00 per person and most people were international tourists who don’t know any better. Canadians were complaining about the bad service but the staff pointed fingers at the US border staff. Take responsibility for your tour and do a better job. Don’t take a full boat if you can’t handle it. Very embarrassing to be a Canadian .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
